Jeremiah 22:13-17

Wake up call!! God cares about the poor, the disabled, the alien and those who suffer from racist hatred…more than He does about the greed of the rich. Woe to those of us who do not seek justice and mercy in awareness of His commands to do so. We are heading as a nation into dangerous territory.

The key terms for true, biblical leadership quality—righteousness and justice—were negated by the king’s actions. The king was supposed to be the guardian of his people, but Jehoiakim enslaved his fellow Israelites to build his self-aggrandizing palaces. Israel perished because of its lack of knowledge of God. Knowledge of God here is related to concern for the poor and needy.

This triad of sins characterizing the reign of Jehoiakim would hammer home a resounding message to Judah concerning the collapse of its kingship. Covenant violations would not go unpunished.

Jeremiah 22:13-17

¹³ “Woe to him who builds his house by unrighteousness

And his chambers by injustice,

Who uses his neighbor’s service without wages

And gives him nothing for his work,

¹⁴ Who says, ‘I will build myself a wide house with spacious chambers,

And cut out windows for it,

Paneling it with cedar

And painting it with vermilion.’

¹⁵ “Shall you reign because you enclose yourself in cedar?

Did not your father eat and drink,

And do justice and righteousness?

Then it was well with him.

¹⁶ He judged the cause of the poor and needy;

Then it was well.

Was not this knowing Me?” says the Lord.

¹⁷ “Yet your eyes and your heart are for nothing but your covetousness,

For shedding innocent blood,

And practicing oppression and violence.”

¹¹ “As a partridge that broods but does not hatch, So is he who gets riches, but not by right; It will leave him in the midst of his days, And at his end he will be a fool.” 

Jeremiah 17:11

¹³ “Behold, therefore, I beat My fists at the dishonest profit which you have made, and at the bloodshed which has been in your midst. 

Ezekiel 22:13

¹ ‘You shall not cheat your neighbor, nor rob him. The wages of him who is hired shall not remain with you all night until morning. 

Leviticus 19:13

¹⁴ “You shall not oppress a hired servant who is poor and needy, whether one of your brethren or one of the aliens who is in your land within your gates. 

Deuteronomy 24:14

⁹ “Woe to him who covets evil gain for his house, That he may set his nest on high, That he may be delivered from the power of disaster! 

Habakkuk 2:9